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Original poster

How can I fit 3 under fives in to a car?

61 replies

Moosy · 04/04/2009 14:01

DC3 is due in DEcember by which time DD1 will be 4.3 and DD2 will be 2.10, they're both quite small so will both be in the seats they're in now (Britax first class and Concord Ultimax (not that colour though!)). We have a Skoda Octavia estate and there isn't space for a little infant carrier type in the back between the two seats we already have so I don't know what to do!

We might have to change the car but really don't want a people carrier if we can help it and DH refuses to buy certain car makes (Peugeot, Renault, Citroen, Fiat).

Soooooo, what do you suggest?

OP posts:
mumnosbest · 04/04/2009 14:18

Is DD1 really tiny or could she use a booster seat? DD is 4.5 too and sits happily in a booster for this same reason but he's average sized.

sazm · 04/04/2009 14:53

legally the oldest can sit in the middle with nothing,so without changing your car it's either that, or buy 3 new seats,
do you have a full 3 point belt in the middle of the back seat?

sazm · 04/04/2009 14:53

legally the oldest can sit in the middle with nothing,so without changing your car it's either that, or buy 3 new seats,
do you have a full 3 point belt in the middle of the back seat?

TheProfiteroleThief · 04/04/2009 14:54

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

WriggleJiggle · 04/04/2009 15:01

Try rearranging the order of the seats. I use 3 car seats in the back, but they only fit in one order A,B,C not A,C,B. Worth trying ...

Original poster
Moosy · 04/04/2009 15:03

We do have a proper 3 point belt in themiddle but I wouldn't be happy for DD1 to use it, she's too wriggly. She's only about 29/30lbs now so I can't see her being past the upper limit (40lbs) for her current seat by December and I would like her to stay in that stage seat until she is IYSWIM.

Sazm, not sure what you mean about buying 3 new seats?

Are there any cars that can fit 3 seats in the back?

OP posts:
TheProfiteroleThief · 04/04/2009 15:04

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
Moosy · 04/04/2009 15:05

Thanks prof, it might actually come to that.

Wriggle, not sure if I can get the two we have now to fit next to each other but I will try it.

OP posts:
charleymouse · 04/04/2009 15:13

second what wriggle said we took DD, DS and DDs friend to safari park yesterday. DH ended up in the middle and one DC in front seat, after we tried seats in A, B, C he then felt queasy so we swapped them round into A, C, B and they fitted snuggly but fine. This was im a VW Touaregt though which is quite big.

Try a search on here as well as I asked this a few years ago when pregnant with twins and a toddler.

PinkTulips · 04/04/2009 15:14

we have 2 group 2 seats and an infant seat in the back.

the infant seat is at one side with the 2 group 2's on the other side.

it only works if i buckle in ds1, then dd, then put the carrier in, otherwise i can't reach the relevant seat belt clips! and we won't be able to fit in a bigger seat when ds2 needs it in a few months so will have to get a bigger car then.

Original poster
Moosy · 04/04/2009 15:18

PinkTulips, what car do you have?

OP posts:
PinkTulips · 04/04/2009 15:21

ford focus, not especially roomy in the back, when we had a car seat either side only an extremely thin adult could fit between them and not comfortably!

herbietea · 04/04/2009 15:26

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Original poster
Moosy · 04/04/2009 15:36

I think so too Herbie, but DH WILL NOT have a picasso, a couple of friends have had them and had the worst trouble with them, he also has a 'thing' about MPVs!

Just had a look at Ford Smax on Autotrader and am a bit at the price! I don't think we'll be having one of those!

I think we might just have to hope DD1 grows enough to fit into a high back booster. Either that or she'll have to go in the front while I squeeze my behind in between the 2 seats in the back (I can just fit at the moment but it hurts!

OP posts:
Original poster
Moosy · 04/04/2009 15:38

New question: Which is the narrowest infant carrier?

OP posts:
PinkTulips · 04/04/2009 16:02

the mothercare one is quite dinky and gets good reviews (for the price)

Original poster
Moosy · 04/04/2009 16:04

Thanks, I think we might have to fatten up weigh DD1 then go and have a fitting session at Mothercare.

OP posts:
TsarChasm · 04/04/2009 16:07

Xsara Picasso was fantastic when our 3 were all that age.

But if you have a problem about certain makes then of course you're drastically limiting the choice.

hotcrosspurepurple · 04/04/2009 16:09

surely it would be cheaper to look for the seats to fit the car than the other way round?

outinthesticksmummy · 04/04/2009 16:18

We have a vauxhall zafira , Had the twins in Graco baby seats with bases and 3 .9 yr old DD in Graco highbacked booster - just about to move them up to stage 2, and Eldest DD will be in the middle with full seat belt, with stage 2's either side - v snug but fit securely AND we get our footwell back. In the Zafira they have seat in the back that are full size eith proper seat belts, when we've gone out with friends i've had one of those seats up and still had plenty of boot room.

sazm · 04/04/2009 16:26

if you buy all 3 kids new seats then you wont have a problem,
like tulip we have 3 car seats in the back of ours and i fit them the same way she does (in a certain order lol) and they fit fine,

we have an MGZR which is TINY in comparison to an octavia(which my mum has)

we have a maxi-cosi cabrio in the middle, with a britax hi-liner at either side for the 2 older kids (3y and 4y),

we only have to do this when hubby is in the car with us which is once a fortnight,the rest of the time ds2 is in the front in his maxi-cosi(i dont have a passenger airbag)

we are also considering whether to change to something bigger(prob a zafira) when ds2 goes into the next stage seat(hopefully around 18m)

mumnosbest · 04/04/2009 17:29

We've got a Xsara Picasso too and loads of room in the back. It doesn't feel like a big car either.

FairLadyOfMuslinCloth · 04/04/2009 17:39

Well..we have a Fiat Multipla and never had any Carseat issues....we totally love it

MrsTittleMouse · 04/04/2009 17:46

Could you put one of the car seats in the front? Not a rear-facing one, obviously. And then sit in between the other two car seats. It wouldn't be ideal but might work as a stop-gap.

sazm · 04/04/2009 18:33

if you have a spare seat in the back then you cant put any child in the front if theres an airbag,its not safe